Karnataka: 7 accused who gangraped co-religionist woman in name of moral policing say, “No regret, did it for Islam..”

In a disturbing development, startling details have emerged in the Haveri moral policing and gangrape case, shedding light on the brazen attitude of the accused. According to recent revelations, the seven individuals implicated in the case have shown no remorse for their actions, instead justifying their crime on religious grounds, citing Islam. Notably, all seven accused in the case are of Muslim faith.

The incident, which occurred on January 7, unfolded in Hanagal taluk, located in Karnataka’s Haveri district. On that fateful day, seven Muslim men forcefully entered a hotel room occupied by an interfaith couple.

Upon entering the room, the accused subjected the couple to verbal abuse and physical assault, documenting their heinous act through video recording. The footage of the assault quickly circulated on social media platforms, prompting swift intervention from the Karnataka police.

In a harrowing turn of events, the female victim disclosed that she was subjected to gangrape by the assailants after being forcibly taken from the hotel premises.

Recent reports indicate that, with the exception of one individual, none of the accused have sought bail. Furthermore, while some individuals tangentially involved in the case have expressed remorse for their actions, many others seem to lack awareness of the gravity of the charges levied against them under Section 376D of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Apart from the seven primary accused, several others have been implicated for their alleged roles in abetting the crime, further complicating the legal proceedings surrounding this appalling incident.

“During interrogation, seven accused who allegedly raped the victim, have expressed no remorse about their act. They justified by saying they did everything solely for their religion. They said that they had earlier warned the victim not to mingle with people apart from the minority community. When she did not comply, they all raped her to punish her,” said a senior police officer investigating the case.

According to the officer, some of the accused acknowledged their wrongdoing during interrogation and conveyed regret.

Among those seeking bail is Abdul Khadar Hanchinamani. However, reports suggest that law enforcement remains assured that bail will not be granted to any of the accused.

Investigators have uncovered a pattern wherein young individuals from the minority community have organised into various groups to enforce moral standards within the district. Utilising coded language and team designations in WhatsApp groups, these groups, such as Eagle, X, Y, and Z, have actively engaged in moral policing activities. They have established extensive networks, particularly in areas like bus stops, hotels, and markets.

“We have seized seven cellphones from the accused, and sent them for forensic testing. We are trying to recover all data from them. These group members and their network are always on the lookout for inter-faith couples and attacked them. The Akkialur and Byadagi moral policing incidents are similar, but it will be proved after investigation,” said a senior police officer.

On Thursday, law enforcement officials apprehended an additional four suspects linked to the Hangal gang-rape incident, bringing the total number of arrests to 18. Mohammad Saif, who had been discharged from KIMS in Hubballi, was among those arrested. Additionally, Irfan Onikeri, Asif Pyamkhan, and Mujamil Imusabannavar were taken into custody on allegations of assaulting the victims in a hotel room.